topic Re: camera issue in Z Series

camera issue

jontybuk — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 15:32:03 GMT

I'm currently on holiday in Crete and decided that seeing as I had such a high quality Sony camera in my phone I would bring it with me (20.7 megapixels and waterproof to boot) however I am having major problems.

I have emailed Sony support but no response. My album is loosing about 50% of my pictures and videos record fine but then I get an error saying video can not be played and also at times mentioning having an invalid URL ( I'm not online while abroad unless I'm on WiFi so why does it need a URL)

Sony this has began to make me reconsider buying a Sony product again. I mean all this hype about being the best camera but I cant view them. I am hoping that I can get the pictures when I connect to a PC but I'm a bit worried to say the least.

I've been trying to troubleshoot this issue and I think it may be something to do with stamina mode as since I have switched it off I am able to save the majority of pictures but still get an error with video.

I read somewhere that if you root you loose DRM keys for the camera I haven't rooted but I hope this does not mean Sony are adding DRM to my photos and videos and that is why I am either loosing photos or unable to play video.

Does anyone have a solution or similar issue? I have contacted support before posting on here to give them a chance to advise me but have not had a response. HELP!!!

Re: camera issue

Uliwooly — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 15:35:32 GMT

Where are you saving pictures? (SD card or Internal storage)

Re: camera issue

jontybuk — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 17:01:26 GMT

Saving to SD card.

Re: camera issue

Uliwooly — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 17:21:08 GMT

It might be an SD card issue, try to savethem on your internal storage and check again

Re: camera issue

azzido — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 18:49:27 GMT

Once on my Xperia S I had the same, having cheap poor SD card I was randomly loosing my pictures, videos or mp3s...the brand was GoodRam, the worst I ever had. Consider buying another, expensive SD card ask or search fot those which should be good in extreme conditions - it should solve the issue.

Re: camera issue

Archanos — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 22:42:38 GMT

just to be clear - Xperia S doesn't have the SD card slot.

Re: camera issue

Uliwooly — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 08:40:55 GMT

Indeed the Xperia S / SL doesn't support SD cards

Re: camera issue

KalKryp — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 09:03:31 GMT

Check the formatting of you SD card on a PC.

I have a 64GB Samsung and had similar problems, I found that formatting to exFAT with 32kb clusters has worked so far.

Re: camera issue

SkyMeow — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 09:08:44 GMT

I think it is a typo and he meant "Z". "S" and "Z" keys are right next to each other.

Re: camera issue

jontybuk — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 09:24:53 GMT

I have a z1 problem is not been happening since I switched off stamina mode. I might change the stamina mode settings to ignore the camera and album apps. However I'll format my memory card and factory reset the phone. Still some issues with pictures showing pixelated and not able to playback videos. Still waiting from a response from Sony but thanks for the advice.

Re: camera issue

KalKryp — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 09:38:33 GMT

Don't factory reset just yet, may be unnecessary. Reformat the card first and test saving to internal memory.
Also what class is the card?

Re: camera issue

Archanos — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 10:28:43 GMT

This can help and clarify things about SD cards:

/t5/Xperia-Z1/SD-XC-Compatibility/m-p/383359#M344

Re: camera issue

jontybuk — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 21:19:05 GMT

ok just got home and backed up the photos from my memory card, they i can not view anyt p[hotos since a photo i took on the 19th of september. i can also not view any viedos. this is very frustrating as i at least could view some of the photos when opening them on my phone.... i have tried to open them in photo shop CS6 which gives the error 'could not complete your request because a JPEG marker segment length is too short (the file may be truncated or incomplete' similar erro in windows photo viewer but doesnt give as much information.

seeing as im home and have my PC ive took a copy of the whole memory card and i will try to recover some of the file information if possible.

if i had expected this type of issue from a brand new phone which sony are giving so much hype about the camera i would have taken my canon eos 450D.

anyway ill format the memory card in exFAT with 32kb clusters and see how i get on.

thanks for your help so far guys its been a great help, i havent had the phone that long so i will probably do a factory reset anyway as most of the stuff is backed up.

could google plus auto backup be causing a problem or could it have been the fact that i was in crete and did not have a data connection all of the time.

i have also noticed that the videos which i downloaded from the sony entertainment network were getting the same error as the videos i shot with the phone 'cannot play video'.

my SD card is a 32 GB and class 10 however i was bought when i got my xperia S about 2 years ago and was used in that then my xperia t and now my brand new Z1, i have always trusted Sony products 100% but im feeling slightly let down now.

if anyone else has experienced a similar issue please raise this to Sony as i hope this can be fixed with a software update for by the way im on FW 14.1.g.1.534

Re: camera issue

Archanos — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 22:40:16 GMT

Hi mate,

if you already backed up everything from this card, try some basics - like formatting the card from the phone itself. It would be best this way, because the phone "knows" best what filesystem he needs on the card. This will eliminate suspicions about bad filesystem first. Then take a bunch of photos, movies, play around with it etc. Then unmount it safely via settings -> memory and check the filesystem on the PC / try to copy everything you saved on it. If it works, problem solved.

If not, then try another card the very same way. If it fails again, the problem is with the phone. If not, then your card got damaged and again - mystery solved.

Method of elimination will be the fastest in this case in my opinion. I am a photographer for many years and you would be surprised how many cards failed me this way. Sometimes it is even enough to loose everything from a card just by removing it from the device (reader, dslr, phone..) without unmounting it. And after some years cards fails from time to time. You have to make sure where the problem really is.

Re: camera issue

jontybuk — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 12:33:05 GMT

Thanks for all the advice folks after a factory reset and format of the memory card all seems to be working fine. I'll consider investing in a better SD card in the future. Anyway I'm too busy messing with my smart watch 2 now.

z1 camera

abcdefghij — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 22:23:12 GMT

Even after being provided with a 20.7mp megapixel camera,the camera quality on zooming is the same as xperia z. I have been using Samsung galaxy grand duos for sometime and I find that its 8 mp camera clicks sharper and better photos as compared to the xperia z1. I even changed the camera mode to manual but even then the image would start getting pixelated as soon as I zoom even a little.

Very disappointing.

Re: camera issue

huizr — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 20:21:51 GMT

Have the same problem. Sales man told me it was water damage (because of the little red dot in the sim card slot) paid 150.00 to file a claim) My z1s has never been near water. I have another z1s that also had to be replaced. A salesperson showed us her phone and all have the red dot. Now I have to pay for shipping another replacement phone but lost my pictures and videos.